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In Maryland, 5.8 million people are considered disabled; West Virginia has 1.8 million people who have disabilities; and in Washington, D.C., there are 632,000 people living with disabilities, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. These numbers rise annually.

United Methodists are called to ensure that all people – regardless of their disabilities – are able to enter and participate in the life of a local church.

Too often, disability ministries are viewed as the building of a ramp or making sure that handicapped parking is available in the church parking lot. But accessibility is much more than that, said the Rev. Nancy Webb.

To raise awareness of ministering with people who have disabilities, the Baltimore-Washington Conference Commission on Disability Concerns will offer a seminar to provide churches with strategies to be accessible and empowering.

“Addressing disabilities is a vital concern for our local churches. We seek full inclusion of everyone with every sort of disability, some that are totally invisible. Having someone who is able-bodied park in a spot marked handicapped accessible is only the tip of the iceberg of accessibility,” said Webb, who chairs the commission. “There are just so many kinds of physical, cognitive, mental health and other sorts of disabilities that go unnoticed or unsupported.”

The seminar, which will be held March 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the BWC Mission Center in Fulton, is designed to assist churches that want to be welcoming to all, but aren’t entirely sure how.

The seminar, which is $15, will provide an overview of disabilities, address awareness and laws about disabilities, and provide numerous resources on advocacy and serving individuals with special needs, said Leo Yates, Jr., who is coordinating the event.

“The training will help to emphasize that the body of Christ will be better represented when people with disabilities are with us. For some, instead of a myopic view of God, we hope to remind them (congregations) to see God’s love and grace as being inclusive,” Yates said. “This, I hope, will help us not to unintentionally overlook Christ in the margins and all those there with him. It will help us to be better able to interact with them, which widens our circle instead of mistakenly leaving them there.”

To register for the workshop, e-mail Yates at

For additional resources on disability ministries, visit www.bwcumc.org/ministries/disability.